The head of the Gabon football association has urged Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to leave Arsenal for a “more ambitious club” in explosive comments that are sure to go down poorly at the Emirates Stadium.
Arsenal want Aubameyang to sign an extension to his contract, due to expire in the summer of 2021 but have not been able to arrange talks with their talismanic forward since before the start of the season. The Gabon striker has been courted by Barcelona in the intervening period and has also been regularly linked with Inter Milan.
Aubameyang has proven to be among Europe’s top forwards since joining Arsenal, scoring 61 goals in 97 games, but has yet to qualify for the Champions League let alone win major silverware in north London.
With his 31st birthday on the horizon Aubameyang is acutely aware that his peak years are numbered however he has also shown real happiness around Arsenal since the appointment of Mikel Arteta. That will make it all the more frustrating that Pierre Alain Mounguengui has spoken out now.
“I don’t want to say that Arsenal aren’t ambitious, but Arsenal don’t have ambitions as high as some other clubs as far as Europe is concerned,” Mounguengui told ESPN.
“So if Pierre could secure a contract with a more ambitious club, he’d definitely find his place there.
“On an individual level, we all consider him to be among the best players in the world, but the advice I give to him is to continue to work and to attract the attention of the biggest clubs and the most ambitious clubs.”
Mounguengui added: “Aubameyang is a world-class player but for him, or anyone else in Europe who hasn’t won a major honour, football is a collective sport.
“Right now, he’s at Arsenal, and he’s won nothing here, so it’s a collective failing.”
It should be noted that the Arsenal striker has not always enjoyed the best relation with the Gabon FA, publicly questioning the professionalism of the game and the association. At the time of writing Aubameyang has not responded to Mounguengui’s comments.
Aubameyang was the subject of interest from Barcelona in the January window but Arsenal did not receive any bid. The Gunners are expected to test the market for the striker at the end of the season if they cannot agree new terms and it remains to be seen which clubs, if any, are prepared to match their price for a player with little resale value.
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